There was a time in very recent history when a show whose premise was centered around the first professional female baseball player would have been considered to have an implausible plot and would have been called unrealistic. Thankfully, in the twenty-first century,
Pitch presents a premise that is very realistic and extremely likely to happen one day in the not so distant future. We’re standing on the cusp of what may be and what will be and
Pitch is giving its audience a glance into that possible future.
Pitch has a lot of pressure on it because it is essentially telling the story of the first female baseball player before we even get to meet her. Kylie Bunbury (lead actress playing Ginny), has the distinct honor to bring this very real woman to life. We may not yet know who the real Ginny will be, but Bunbury is paving the path for her. With the MLB involved with the creation of the show and all eyes on
Pitch, it is important they do this story right. And, in my opinion, they have done it justice. The pilot episode perfectly captures the struggles that the real Ginny will face. Any time change is abound there will always be those pushing against it and Ginny will definitely have a fight ahead of her. She has almost as many opponents as she has supporters and the pilot makes it abundantly clear that Ginny has a fight on her hands to be seen as the equal she is to her male counterparts.
While Ginny is the focal point of the series, there are a lot of other plot points circling around her as the pilot populates the world in which Ginny inhabits. The politics behind Ginny’s place within the organization are ripe for drama and the series sets up many storylines regarding the tensions going on behind the scenes. With the world looking at Ginny she has immense pressure weighing down on her and it may be too much for even this skilled player, but she’s going to fight for her right to be considered an equal to her teammates.
Pressure is something Ginny is very familiar with. She grew up with extreme pressure her entire life with her father, Bill Baker (Michael Beach), guiding her journey to the big leagues. I think viewers will be quite intrigued by how this part of the pilot plays out. It also left me curious how the series plans to deal with the tensions between father and daughter. There are definitely some things that need to be worked out between them in order for Ginny to be able to reach her full potential. Whether that’s even possible is left open-ended at the end of the premiere. She will also have to deal with other strained relationships within her own family, but with the likes of her agent Amelia Slater (Ali Larter) and her best friend Evelyn Sanders (Megan Holder) watching her back I think she’s getting to a place in her life where she can start to try to piece her family back together, but that part of her personal journey is ripe for some interesting drama to play out throughout the season.
The series is populated by a cast of unfamiliar performers and industry veterans, but you will be hard pressed to determine which are which. Pilot episodes are notorious for being the weakest link for a series because the performers are still trying to find their characters voice, but
Pitch doesn’t have any glaring examples of that. All the performers have a great grasp of their characters and they allow those personalities to shine through. The episode hits the ground running and jumps immediately into the story, but it does have a lull in the middle of it. That is the point where all of the characters are set up and their personalities start to shine through. Some may not like the sudden drop-off in pace, but I think it perfectly suited the setup of the series. The ending of the premiere will stun viewers with an unexpected twist.
In addition to Bunbury, Beach, Larter, and Holder this series also stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar in a nearly unrecognizable role. It’s quite a drastic change for him and he pulls it off with stunning accuracy. His character, Mike Lawson, can come off as a jerk at times. However, he is a jerk who isn’t without some redemptive qualities. Mark Consuelos (Oscar Arguella) , Dan Lauria (Al Luongo), Mo McRae (Blip Sanders), And Tim Jo (Eliot) also star to round out this powerhouse cast.
This series is poised to make history and break ground for some young woman currently fighting for her own place in history. Who will the real Ginny be? Well, hopefully, we’ll find out soon, but until that day comes enjoy watching
Pitch pave the path for her. With stunning baseball sequences, aided by brilliant MLB provided game shots, this series should appeal to drama and baseball fans alike.
Tune in for this groundbreaking premiere on
FOX on Thursday, September 22nd at 9/8C. Hit the comments with your hopes for this series. Are you excited to see
Pitch tackle the topic of the first female baseball player?
Here are some quotes to tide you over until the premiere:
"Because today I'm the starting pitcher for the San Diego Padres."
"Would it be inappropriate to say that you might be the second prettiest teammate I've ever had?"
"She's a fighter. She's a fighter."
"I"m a national laughing stock, Evelyn."
"You do this for you, you do this for your team, or you don't do it at all."
About the Author - Aimee Hicks
Aimee works for a newspaper in North Carolina and has a BA in Broadcasting and Cinema. She has been a TV lover since before she really understood what TV was and has a passion for analyzing performances and theorizing what may happen on her favorite shows. Her interest in television covers just about every genre, but her first love is the sci-fi/fantasy genre. For the 2016/2017 season she will be reviewing Chesapeake Shores, Dark Matter, Frequency, Gilmore Girls, Jessica Jones, Lucifer, and Orphan Black. She will also be handling the Best Scene Polls for Supergirl and previewing several new and returning shows. She also oversees the popular SpoilerTV feature, Performers of the Month (#POTM) which highlights the most outstanding actor and actress from each month. You can email her at aimee@spoilertv.com.
